Kalalau Valley viewed from the Na Pali Kona Forest Reserve Pihea Trail

The Kalalau Valley is located on the northwest side of the island of

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

in the state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. The valley is located in the

Nā Pali Coast State Park Nā Pali Coast State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the center of the rugged northwest side of Kauai, the second-oldest inhabited Hawaiian island. The Nā Pali coast itself extends southwest from Kee Beach all ...

and houses the

Kalalau Beach Kalalau Beach is a beach on the Na Pali Coast, Nā Pali Coast at the base of the Kalalau Valley in north-west Kauai, Kauai in Hawaii, Hawaii. It is the final destination of the Kalalau Trail, one of the most difficult trails on the Hawaiian Isla ...

. The Nā Pali Coast is rugged and is inaccessible to automobiles. The only legal ways to access the valley are by

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

or by hiking the Kalalau Trail. The valley is surrounded by cliffs more than high. This valley's bottom is broad and relatively flat, with an accessible region about long and wide. The abundant sun and rain provides an ideal environment for

flora and fauna An organism is any living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Many criteria, few of them widely accepted, have been pro ...

. Many

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was settled at least 800 years ago by Polynesian ...

lived in the valley into the 20th century, farming

taro Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...

from a vast complex of

terraced A terrace in agriculture is a flat surface that has been cut into hills or mountains to provide areas for the cultivation for crops, as a method of more effective farming. Terrace agriculture or cultivation is when these platforms are created s ...

fields. Today, its designation as a state park forbids anyone from residing there.

Access to Kalalau Valley

Since the Nā Pali Coast is too steep for any motorized vehicles, all access to the valley is by boat or foot, except for emergency helicopter landings. Kayaks are a popular way of visiting the valley, although sea conditions can make this dangerous during the winter. Hiking and trail running the Kalalau Trail are also popular, but the trail is about long, quite strenuous for those not in good shape, and can be dangerous at parts for inexperienced people. Access to the Kalalau Valley is controlled. A limited number of permits are sold for camping in Kalalau Valley every year by the

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is a part of the Hawaii state government dedicated to managing, administering, and exercising control over public lands, water resources and streams, ocean waters, coastal areas, miner ...

(DLNR), although parking for campers is no longer allowed at the trail head. Instead, parking is now an exclusive privilege for day users of Ha'ena State Park, where the Kalalau Trail head is located, and permitted Kalalau campers are provided no overnight parking whatsoever. Anyone wishing to hike or run beyond Hanakāpīʻai valley must have a permit for staying in Kalalau Valley overnight, even if their intention is to return the same day. A total of sixty overnight permits are issued for each night. Permits must generally be sought as early as 6 months in advance of travel.

Ecology

The valley is home to many rare species, including the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

plant '' Dubautia kalalauensis'' which was named for the valley and is found nowhere else in the world.USFWS
Determination of endangered status for 48 species on Kauai and designation of critical habitat; Final rule.
''Federal Register'' April 13, 2010. pg 18965. Other endemics include the endangered '' Schiedea attenuata''., and previously unknown plant species have been discovered ther

Life in Kalalau Valley

The natural environment and relative isolation, despite the noise of constant helicopter traffic, are the major attractions of the valley. Legal campers stay outside the valley in the designated camping area within roughly of Kalalau beach. There is a small

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

in this area that is used for bathing and washing dishes. At one end of the beach is a stream that is also used for fresh water. All the streams are susceptible to contamination with

leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacterium ''Leptospira'' that can infect humans, dogs, rodents and many other wild and domesticated animals. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, Myalgia, muscle pains, a ...

, a bacterium that is transmitted from the urine of infected rodents.

Squatters

In spite of the efforts of the state of Hawaii, some people illegally hike the Kalalau Trail and camp and even live in the valley. Visitors who do not have a permit are occasionally issued citations that require a court appearance and a fine of up to $500 for a first offense. On April 28, 2017, Cody Safadago, a man alleged to be living in Kalalau, was charged with stealing a truck and causing an accident that killed a Kauai woman the previous day, while he was driving drunk. This incident seemed to have increased awareness of illegal activity in Kalalau Valley, and may have helped lead to a May 2017 crackdown on illegal campers in Kalalau by officers of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Some Hawaii residents have posted online complaints about illegal campers in Kalalau, referencing videos posted online by some of those same campers. While some videos appear to have been removed, the anger among locals continues. Some feel contempt for what they call "hippies" and "squatters" who violate State law by camping without required permits - sometimes for months or longer - in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, where Kalalau Valley is located. Some Kauai residents decry the camping by people they consider to be disrespectful of the land, citing reports of accumulating trash in the camps, and disrespect of the citizenry of Kauai through various illegal conduct of the illegal campers.Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 5-15-17

Destruction of terraced gardens

The

gardens in the Kalalau Valley are threatened by the introduced, invasive trees which create underground root networks invading the rock walls. The trees then fall and topple the rock walls causing permanent damage. The origin of the trees is disputed.

Management of Kalalau Valley

The valley is a part of the Nā Pali Coast State Park and the DLNR is, responsible for its maintenance and preservation.

References

External links

Camping permits
* {{cite gnis, id=360032, name=Kalalau Valley, accessdate=2009-05-04 Valleys of Kauai